Faith and Freedom conference builds conservative grassroots support

Conservative Christian non-profits Concerned Women for America and the Faith and Freedom Coalition teamed up to host the coalition’s annual policy conference in Washington this week.

“It was very encouraging to hear people as learned as these and with such experience say there’s still hope for the future because sometimes I think we as conservatives and Christians feel like … it looks pretty dim,” conference attendee Betty Lou Martin said after the event’s kickoff Wednesday night. The evening featured talk show hosts Bill Bennett, Mike Gallagher, and Michael Medved.

The conference, entitled “Road to Majority,” will promote grassroots leadership, citizen involvement, and pro-family values. Speakers the rest of the week will include leaders of conservative organizations and high-profile politicians, including numerous presidential candidates.

Some guests thought economic policies should have been addressed more on Wednesday night. Talk show host Medved said: “We didn’t talk much about the real challenge to conservatives in this election cycle, which is going to be the issue of opportunity, which is the way we should define what the Democrats call inequality. Cause the real issue is not making everyone equal. The real issue is providing everyone with the opportunity to rise.”

Timothy Head, executive director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, said the event’s purpose was “to inform key social conservative supporters on what to expect in the 2016 election and current legislative processes.” The coalition expects 1,500-2,000 grassroots activists to attend.

Volunteer C.J. Johnson from Florida said the conference allows attendees to hear the same speakers the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) would host at its annual event, but in a smaller, more intimate group. In recent years, more than 10,000 people flocked to CPAC. This week’s conference attracts a specific demographic. “You’re kind of with more like-minded people than just based on economic issues,” Johnson said.